What do you value most in a friend?

friends - friends having a good time together
Canada
July 17, 2008 2:35am CST
I've been re evaluating my friendships lately and was just wondering what your expectations are from your friends?
2 people like this
8 responses
@zeroflashx2 (2491)
• Philippines
17 Jul 08
I really don't expect anything from my friends. I know my real friends will always be there for me when I need them. They are always there when have some and during trying times. I'm always ready for them as well. I just live our own lives and share when we meet. It is the trust and confidence in them that is actually built as long as you're friends. Now that you've mentioned it, well probably the only valid expectation from a friend is not to break our trust by betraying us in anyway. Other than that, I guess every thing's fine.
1 person likes this
• Canada
18 Jul 08
I think thats a great evaluation of friendship! Trust and confidence are very important in any kind of relationship or human interaction. What do you do if someone breaks that trust though? Where do you go from there? Do you rebuild the friendship? Or should you just let it die? How big of a break in trust will you accept?
• Canada
19 Jul 08
Thanks for your input! It's really good to hear other people's philopshy's on friendship. It is true that it takes a lot of time to heal things and you have to be patient. Your friends must be really lucky to have you. I wish I could be more forgiving. That is definately a great quality for you to have.
• Philippines
18 Jul 08
I am really lenient when it comes to mistakes. I always forgive but I can't easily forget. My limit to it is when my friend intentionally did something wrong. If he/she has a motive, I'd hear him/her out but if it not reason enough for an action to be intentionally done against me, then the friendship is in dire straights. I usually don't try to heal the friendship, it usually takes time.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jul 08
i value honesty becaus ei hate when people lie :( and i value trust :)
1 person likes this
• Canada
19 Jul 08
I too value honesty! I think honesty is one of my best virtues. I'm terrible at lying.. lol perhaps thats why. I love to have frank and honest down to earth discussions with people who can really empathize. People who lie confuse me. I don't know why they lie... and it makes me angry when it negatively affects me.
@smilyn (2967)
• United States
17 Jul 08
The most important thing for a good friendship is the trust. When trust and belief are lost, then there is no purpose in the friendship. And the caring, sharing,love all these also comes into the queue.I have seen a set of friends who are undetachable. They roam around in the college together, study,eat and work together. Everyone was surprised to see their friendship..We all thought how close they are. Two months back, I met one of them. When I enquired her about the other, she did not know any trace of her friend. By someway, they have lost all contacts. They do not have any communication now. But still the friendship lives.The moments that pass away should leave longlasting memories. That is what friendship is..It does not need to be refreshed very often.
• Canada
19 Jul 08
A lot of people here are agreeing that trust is very important to friendship. I agree. Loosing trust in someone is very disheartening. I really like your idea about friendship being fleeting. That the memories are the important things.
@saierchok (1294)
• United States
18 Jul 08
dear monkey rose, since I became 18 I stopped really having people around me who i could call best friends, the world became so material to all of my friends that I had to abandon them seconds before they abandon me.. now I'm only having superficial relations that are build on mutual benefit.. I'm not expecting much from the ones I now call my friends, the fact is the only things I'm expecting is respect and a trace of care.. that would be enough for me and them.. because if anything goes beyond respect and things go bad.. I could easily tell them.. you know what.. this relation is going no where.. here it ends
1 person likes this
• Canada
19 Jul 08
]I think that in some ways it is smart to keep yourself protected. However you must be missing out on deep human connection. I find that really sad. I hope that some day you can find a few people that you are able to open up to. I hope that we all do.
@mandykaren (2040)
18 Jul 08
the main thing to me is honesty always.. because i need to trust a friend in what they say to me, and to also trust to say anything to and know it not go any further. And someone that can share problem but also be a good listener.. to be unselfish :) There should be giving and taking in a good friendship.. Definitely the most important thing is honesty.. I had a friend, no a so called friend.. well thought was a friend (in life) she was a 2-faced type.. Anything say to her, she was talking about behind my back to someone else.. Now that type of person is NOT a true friend.. As i always think a true friend if got a problem with you or anything, should be able to say it to your face so at least you can defend yourself.. not talk about you to others.
1 person likes this
• Canada
19 Jul 08
Betrayal is definately A really tough thing to handle. I can tell you understand this from your response. I'm sorry that you too had to go through a bad experience with a so-called friend. I'm going to be honest though. I talk behind people's backs. I know its a vice of mine. Usually its only if I'm really angry about something or worried about it. I might go talk to someone close to me about it... unless I was told it was a confidence. Sometimes I blow off steam about annoyances. Little things that bug me but I won't mention them to the person because its really my isuue not.. theirs.
@naji22 (7)
• India
17 Jul 08
Hmmmmmmm...Let me think. Ah yes, the things I would value in friendship most would me trust,affection,selflessness and sincerity. A friend who doesnot qualify any of these qualities does not deserve to be ur friend. Thats my opinion.
1 person likes this
• Canada
18 Jul 08
I deffinately think that those qualities are very important. Everyone here seems to be very noble. Saying things like trust and honesty and sincerity. If that is true than how come not everyone gets along? Is there something about certain people that just makes you think I want to hand out with her/him?
@MizukiZHR (611)
• China
17 Jul 08
Hi Monkeyrose.I value his/her good characters of a person most.Whether a man/woman is rich isn't my standard to choose him/her to be my friend.Only when I know he/she is honest,brave and kindheart then I will make friends with him/her.
1 person likes this
• Canada
18 Jul 08
I really agree with you. Money definately isn't something that is a deciding factor for me either. Generally it takes a long time to find out if someone is honest brave and kindhearted. I had a friend for 21 years who just recently turned evil hearted. She did something really selfish and doesn't think she did anything wrong. Now shes ignoring me like I'm some sort of tumor. I really had thought I'd know her after 21 years!!!!
• Philippines
17 Jul 08
no expectations...you juz have to accept them for who they are..like a lover,, you cant find a perfect friend, but you can always find a perfect companion, it needs not to be always happy and cool but a place where you can always be yourself,, and do whatever crazy things you want to do and still there to laugh and cry with you..
• Canada
18 Jul 08
I do agree that you have to accept someone for who they are. It is true that no one is perfect. Including ourselves. However do you have boundaries? Certain things that you would not abide by? Certain actions that if someone did to you you would cut them off? Its really tough to find someone who will still be there while you go through bad times.